Check Up
by alicemorganss
Summary: He should have known she would be waiting for him. After all, isn't that what friends do? Post ep: 5.22 Yahrzeit. Mac/Stella


Disclaimer: I own none of these characters... sadly enough.

Post ep: 5.22 Yahrzeit

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He walked through the darkened halls of the lab, most everyone was gone at this late hour. He had just arrived back from the celebration at Hannah's house and couldn't sleep. Deciding to be productive with his insomnia, Mac stalked the hallways back to his office.

Reaching the door to his office, he flipped on the lights and paused, he wasn't alone.

Turning around, he saw to the side of him, his couch was taken up by a visitor, an unexpected one, but never unwelcome.

He smiled slightly to himself and crept quietly towards her, gently kneeling beside her on the floor.

"Stella" he said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She moved slightly, but didn't open her eyes.

"Stell" he tried again, this time shaking her shoulder slightly.

Stella blinked one eye open at the offender, and realized who it was.

"Mhm, Mac" she croaked, bringing a hand to her eyes and rubbing her eyes to open.

"It's me" he said, hand still on top of her shoulder. "What are you doing here" he asked.

"What time is it" she said, getting the energy to sit up slightly and watch his hand atop her shoulder skim down her arm as she moved.

"Almost 3 am" he said, looking at his watch.

"Oh" she said, rubbing her eyes again, watching as he lifted himself off the floor and onto the couch next to her.

"What are you doing here" he tried again.

She turned her body towards him and shrugged.

"I was waiting for you, to see how you were doing" she answered truthfully.

"And you were going to sleep here the whole night" he asked, slightly annoyed and yet relieved at his partner's ability to read him as well as she does.

"I was pretty sure you'd find your way back here eventually" she said pointedly, knowing his routine if he couldn't sleep.

"I'm fine Stella" he told her, his eyes not meeting hers.

"I can see that" she smirked, "I would say I was fine too if I came in from the airport at three in the morning."

"How did you know I was at the airport" he asked her, knowing that he didn't tell anyone of his plans.

"I was coming to see you after the interrogation, but I got stopped by a phone call, and by the time I got to your office, only your computer was on" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

He smiled slightly to himself, knowing that Stella always checked up on him after hard cases, especially if they didn't work side by side on a case, so this check up shouldn't have been a surprise.

"I'm fine" he said, "But thank you for checking up on me."

"It's what friends do" she shrugged as if it was no big deal.

Mac nodded and watched as she smiled brightly, yet he noted she was also tired.

"You should go home Stell" he told her, moving his hand back up to her shoulder.

"I'm fine" she told him.

Mac just nodded, knowing not to push her. After all, it was the least he could do, since she wasn't going to push him.

They sat in silence for a while, both of their bodies unconsciously navigating towards each other, and Stella's head somehow making it onto his shoulder.

"I received a video today" Mac said quietly, interrupting the stillness of his office.

"Yeah" Stella said, just as quiet, head still on his shoulder.

"My father" Mac began, "my father was mentioned by a man that saved him."

Stella said nothing, but she took one of his hands in hers and rubbed the back of his hand gently with her thumb.

"According to the man in the video, I assume the camps had just been liberated. My father saved the young boy from the camps; he carried him out of the barracks, gave him his jacket and fed him. He saved that boy's life that day Stella. You should have seen the man talking about my father, he was so thankful" Mac said quietly, choking up slightly as he went on.

Stella lifted her head from his shoulder and noted that he was staring straight at his computer.

She rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand and smiled a watery smile at him as he turned to face her.

"You should be proud of your father Mac" she said, tears filling up her voice.

"I, I am" he said, and she noticed the unshed tears in his eyes along with the shining pride at finding the role his father played in WWII.

"Good" she smiled, and felt one of her tears slide down her cheek. Closing her eyes to hide her tears, she felt more than saw his calloused thumb wipe away the track the tear left on her cheek.

She opened her eyes and found him staring back at her.

"I'm okay Mac, really" she said, squeezing his hand that was still in hers.

Mac nodded slightly and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

"I gave Esther's broach to Hannah, her only living relative. We then celebrated Esther's life, as well as my father and his accomplishments" he said, watching her reaction to the news.

"Good" Stella said genuinely, "What was it like?"

"She lit a candle, and spoke a Jewish prayer. It's called yahrzeit" Mac recalled his night.

"I've heard of that" Stella said, "It must have been a nice celebration, for the both of you."

Mac nodded and looked down towards their hands, watching as Stella's thumb made unconscious patterns around the back of his hand.

"One day, I'll show you the video" he said quietly, taking his other hand and covering Stella's.

"I'd like that" she said, using her free hand and wiping her eyes, which were starting to water again at the prospect of Mac sharing more personal things about his life before her.

She leaned her head against his shoulder once more and released a deep breath and felt more than saw him lean his head gently on top of hers.

The both studied their hands, her fingers entwined with one of his hands and the other one of his gently began playing with her fingers, needing something to hold onto, to remind him of how much this woman beside him cared.

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Fin

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A/N: As of right now, my other CSI:NY fic is still on hiatus. I might go back to it, but I have no thoughts at the moment to renew it… my muse is somewhat gone for now from that fic.


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